No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth!!

So, yes it has been a while since I posted last, and I will try to give a running life update soon, but this post is more of a Christian life update.

I e-mailed a good friend today to share with him that I had been feeling kind of distant from God lately. I was feeling like prayer and devotion was more of a chore than a pleasant time with God. He suggested I prayer during a run...running and prayer...both excellent suggestions!

I started my run at a really fast pace (well "really fast" is a relative term; compared to my 10min/mile, 8:36 per mile is down right super sonic)...it was difficult, but not impossible. My mind realized that I could not maintain the pace for 5 miles, but my body ignored that reality. Despite the euphoria, or maybe because of it, I forgot to pray. As I was waiting at a red light I heard a faint voice, "I am with you" The second mile was slower, but still fast for me...all along the chorus of "I am with you," continued, and seem to increase with frequency. Then I came upon a crossroad; figuratively and literally. If I turned right I would cut 2 miles off of the 5 mile run I had planned, but I would have an amazing run pace. I chose to continue on the original route. It got increasingly difficult. There were several points I wished there were more red lights and then I realized, the "I am with you" chorus was gone. I labored on for a while and then turned to prayer;  the pace got a little easier...I wasn't really going faster, but I wasn't "chasing" an impossible pace either. Then all of a sudden, "I'm still here!"

In my conversation with God He made me realize that He was with me through out my run, just as He is with me through out my life...just because I feel that He is silent doesn't mean that He has left me alone to battle the difficult miles. It is in those miles where I need to turn to Him the most and in those miles I will learn and grow so much as a runner and as a person. So, yes, seminary is hard; balancing family, work, studying, running, sermon writing and a Laker game (everyone once in a while) is hard, but these difficult time will only serve to make me a better pastor...by helping me to realize that God is always there.

So, for now, my theme song is "Praise you in the storm" by Casting Crowns (minus the parts that talk about crying...guys don't cry, it's just our awesome leaking out!) knowing that God uses the storm waters to feed His plants and trees.

Hey, maybe I shouldn't post this...this might make a good sermon one day! 



Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”           Joshua 1:9
 

Los Angeles 13.1 - 2013 Race Review

So it has been exceptionally cold...for LA standards. The morning of the LA 13.1 half marathon the low was supposed to be 34 degrees. The day before I laid out clothes - pants, long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve shirt, thick socks, gloves, a hat I could throw away, and a trash bag. The plan was to wear the trash bag over my clothes until right before the start and then dump the hat as my head got warm. I arrived at the start way too early, so I reclined my seat and tried to take a nap...as the cold seeped into my car I would turn the heater on and then after a few minutes of the car off, I would be freezing again, so this was just not working. I decided it was time to head to the starting line and wait there instead. Maybe the race organizers had brought portable heaters...nope, as I got to the starting line, all I found were lines to the port-a-potties and shivering, shacking runners. I stayed close to a news van that was emitting a great deal of heat and then headed for the port-a-potties...It was almost warm in there, but the smell was none to pleasant...little did I know this was an omen of things to come. Most runners seemed to be huddled closer than usual at the starting line and I ended up close to the 2:15 pacer. As the race started I kept up with the 2:15 pacer and decided I would try to maintain that pace as long as possible. As we were running through Venice Beach, a homeless man turned to his friend and said, "man! These folks wanna die young!" Interesting that a homeless man had his own opinion of long distance running. We got to the 5 mile mark and the 2:15 pacer was just out of sight, but I thought that I couldn't be too far behind him...and then it hit me!! OH!! THE STENCH!!! Little did I know that the course would take us past a sewage treatment plant...and I guess business was good! At about mile 7, the 2:15 pacer long gone, I was now fairly certain that I would beat 2:30...but by how much?? As I got close to the end of the race two guys kept speeding past me and then walking...we went back and forth for about a mile and a half before the realized that they were basically keeping pace with a 41 year old. As the last mile approached I committed to finish with them, while maintaining a steady pace. They would dart in front of me, and then one would walk which encouraged the other to stop...their walks got longer which was good because my pace was slowing. At mile 13 the started walking again...mile 13!!! 0.1094 miles left and they decide to walk...so I shouted at them..."hey, don't let the old guy beat you!" and BOOM! They took off!! If they ever make a movie of my life I think the director will have me beating those two guys by inches...but in reality...they left me in the dust! But no matter...I got my PR! 2:21:32 was my official time...almost 20 minutes faster than my fastest half marathon. Next on the horizon is the LA Marathon, but before I can run from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Pier, I get to log tons of miles. 

PR!!!! PR!!!! PR!!!!

In 2 hours 21 minutes and 32 seconds I ran the Los Angeles 13.1 half marathon...a personal record!! Not just a PR, but a I totally crushed my previous best by almost 20 minutes!!!As the official test race for the LA Marathon, this was better than I could have imagined...but it started the questions flowing...
--If I could cut 20 minutes off of my half marathon time could I cut 30-40 minutes off of my marathon time?
--My training runs haven't really shown this huge increase, so where did this come from?
--For the first time ever I ran with a pacer (the 2:15 pacer) for part of the race, was this the reason for my improved time?
--For most races I have tried to run negative splits (increased pace in each progressive mile) in all of my previous races, but since I ran with a 2:15 pacer for the first 6 miles, should I scrap that?

So many questions...there will be plenty of time to contemplate them later...but for now I'll just take some time to enjoy my new personal record!! 2:21:32!!! Whooo-hoooo!!!!

Yard sale!!

Running is fun! That's what they tell me anyway!! Sometimes it's more fun than others. It has been SUPER cold lately...well super cold for California standards...so it has been really hard to get out of bed. This morning my bed was exceptionally warm, so it was exceptionally difficult to get out of bed. I finally got on the road about 1/2 an hour after I had intended. Then about 1/2 a mile into my run flop!! I was sprawled out like a yard sale. I was tempted to turn around and go home, but then decided to finish off the run. It got me to thinking...how dedicated of a runner am I? It's a hard question to ponder, but one that seems to come up once in a while. I really think marathon running is partly mental...so I am a dedicated runner...I am!! And I have the scars to prove it!

History of Shoes

Right to left:
Nike Zoom Vomero 3 - 500+ miles (super fit, "Squishy" bouncy feel)
Nike Zoon Vomero 5 - 400+ miles (a tad too long, same feel as the Vomero 3's, but the fit made them second fiddle)
Saucony  Triumph 9 - 78.2 miles (Fit like a glove, no bounce, but still a soft landing)
Brooks Glycerin 10 - 5.0 miles (Nice fit, feels like there is a spring in the heel)


It's funny the things that make you feel a little nostalgic. I picked up a new pair of running shoes and I figured it was time to officially retire my first pair; It's safe to say that 500 miles was enough, but I had to take one last picture. There are nearly 1,000 miles represented in those shoes; some of those miles have been fun, some have been a lot of work...but every one was totally worth it!! As New Years approaches I wonder what God has in store for me for 2013...I hope it includes lots of miles...and maybe another pair of shoes. To quote the great philosopher Forrest Gump - "You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes." 

Four Forty Two

442...four-forty-two! That is my mile count right now for this year!! That would be approximately 700,000 steps...and would take me from Flagstaff, AZ to Disneyland...not bad for an old chubby guy. So as we look to 2013 (assuming the Mayans are wrong and we live past 12/21/12) what should I shoot for next year? 500...600...or a nice round 750?? All of those seem doable...750 breaks down to less than 16 miles a week...that's not too bad...so do I go for 1,000 miles in a year?? That might be a stretch...21 miles a week is a big commitment. I guess I have a few more days to ponder my running goal for next year. The only running goal I set for this year I accomplished in March - to run a marathon - which might be an indication of why I had 8 total miles in the month of April, so a year long goal might be a good idea. Any thoughts?



As more details emerge from the tragic events of Friday in Newtown Connecticut we continue to offer our prayers for those who lost loved ones in that horrific event. We realize that we should turn to our heavenly Father in these times and pour out our sorrow, confusion and even anger on Him and allow Him to comfort and guide us.

Eddie got run over by a Ford....almost!!

96 days left until the LA Marathon....you know what that means...pass the eggnog...I'll train later!! I decided, this morning as I skipped my morning run, that I really need to start training for the marathon...so of course instead of jumping up, throwing on running clothes and sprinting out of my house for a quick 2 miles before work, I leaned over and picked up the running magazine that was on the floor next to my bed. All day I felt like a slacker...I really should have gotten up...I really should have run....but noooooo! I chose the comfort of my nice warm bed. As the work day was coming to an end I had made up my mind that I would go for a 5 mile run....no...no...6 miles!! I need to tack on at least one guilt mile!! My ankle has had good days and bad days...I spent most of Saturday and about half of Sunday standing, so my ankle has been a little sore today, so the logical solution is of course to rest...maybe go for a bike ride instead of a run....nope...not me! I plan a 6 mile run. And then I even failed to wrap my ankle as a preventative measure before my run, so I will be icing my ankle for the rest of the evening. Things were going well for the first mile and a half and then I got to the City of Downey. I never realized that the City of Downey was so adamantly opposed to sidewalks...and street lights. I realize that we are very spoiled in the LA area with the abundance of sidewalks, but it was surprising to find so few sidewalks in such an affluent area. Oh well...all the weaving and dodging just made the miles go by faster. I was near the 5 mile mark when I saw a bright lime green car (Ford calls it a Fiesta sedan in lime squeeze) approaching at a high rate of speed. The driver was slowing, but my quick mathematical calculations determined that she would not slow down in time to avoid hitting me...so I adjusted my pace until I was certain I would allow her to pass in front of me...then she swerved...RIGHT AT ME! UGH!!! Certainly she sees me...certainly she will stop....certainly....ouch...she hit me! Nothing major...just a little tap on the legs, but with enough force to make my upper body lung forward so now my hands were resting on the middle of her hood. Ok..ok...no harm no foul...but I realized that it was way to close for comfort and I also realized that I had zero identification on me. Had this been worse I would have been in the hospital without a name...and being in the hospital without a name is worse than being in the hospital with one of those gowns that has no back...yep...it's that bad. I usually run with my Road ID (go to roadid.com to check them out...they're great!), but today I just could not find it, so I left for my run with only a house key in my pocket...yep...never doing that again!
Despite the fact that I almost landed in the hospital (that might me a slight exaggeration) I feel like today is the real beginning of marathon training season...yeah...there is a whole season of marathon training! I'm really looking to improve my time from last year...which for most people wouldn't be too hard since it was a pedestrian 6:27:03 (Sorry Paul Ryan, if you run a marathon, you remember your time, even a time as slow as mine!), but for me, I was just happy to finish, and today's run was just one of many runs that will be the foundation for the 26.2 miles I run in March. Running a marathon isn't accomplished the day of the race...it is accomplished in the hundreds of miles training for the race...those 26.2 miles are just a victory lap....a very LONG victory lap!

On another note, seminary is going well...first quarter is done and so I only have 15 quarters to go! Yeah! Home stretch!! I am learning a great deal and have also realized that, just like a marathon, there are going to be high points and low points, but the goal is to keep a steady even pace...so I my average study pace is 10-15 hours of studying a week. This has really cut into...well, everything, so I am really trying to find a balance between work, family, and school...but for now I am taking it one week at a time and looking forward to Christmas break. God will provide!!